Identifying-tag.



A. A. THURLBY.

IDENTIFYING TAG. APPLIOATION rum; JUNE 9, 190a.

'Patented June7 1910.

ARTHUR A. THURLBY, OF GI-IICAG-O,-ILLINOIS.

IDENTIFYING-TAG.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR A. THURLBY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, hzWe invented new and useful Improvements in Identifying-Tags, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an identifying tag, particularly adapted for use in situations where the tag is exposed to destructive influences, such as the weather when the tag is used out of doors, or moisture and corrosive gases when used in subways, conduits or the like. Such a tag is of particular utility to nursery'men in marking trees, shrubs and the like, the tags heretofore commonly used by them for this purpose being objectionable because of the difficulty of maintaining them in such condition that the legends thereon may be read, or even in preventing the tag itself from being destroyed.

In electric lighting, telephone, and other systems in which a great number of conductors are collected together, it has been the practice to label the conductors, at the points at which they issue from the conduits and enter man-holes, distributing boxes or the like, by means of tags, constructed of paper, wood or the like. sive gases collect in the man-holes, with the effect that the tags, as hitherto constructed, decay and the lettering upon them becomes undecipherable after a short period. In some cases the tags have been constructed of metal, with the lettering stamped or engraved thereon, but these are expensive and after a time become corroded and illegible.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and economical identifying tag which will be entirely impervious to moisture and corrosive gases, and, to this end, my improved tag consists of a transparent weatherproof receptacle, within which one or more labels are placed, in such manner that the characters thereon may be read through the receptacle. The receptacle is then closed against the admission of moisture and gases.

For a full understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which is illustrated a practical and satisfactory embodiment thereof.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 9, 1908.

Both moisture and corro- Patented June *7, 1910.

Serial No. 437,549.

In these drawings :Figure 1 is a front elevation of the device; Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the line 22 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line 33 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the transparent receptacle.

Like characters of reference refer to like parts throughout the specification and drawings.

The receptacle 4, which will usually be constructed of glass, is preferably of sub stantially rectangular shape and is open at its upper, and closed at its lower end.

The receptacle 4 is preferably bent inwardly at the center, as shown in Fig. 4, to form a hollow bead 5 extending around at least three of its sides. To the inner surface of the glass receptacle 4 is fixed the label 6, which preferably consists of a piece of paper or linen, bent into the form of a letter U, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, and lettered on both sides, so that the tag is readable Whichever side thereof be uppermost. A loop 7, which may be of wire, is inserted in the receptacle, the shape of the loop 7 being such as to correspond with the shape of the bead 5, so that the loop 7, when inserted in the receptacle 4, will be contained within the bead 5. The loop 7 is connected in any suitable manner to the conductor which is to be identified by the tag.

When the loop 7 and labels 6 have been placed in position, the receptacle is filled with a material, designated 8 in the drawings, such as gypsum, or the like, which is moisture-proof and also which will resist the action of corrosive gases. The bead 5 preeludes any possibility of the loop 7 being withdrawn, together with the filling material 8, from the receptacle 4.

By filling the receptacle with plastic material which afterward hardens, such as gypsum, an important advantage is secured, namely, that if the receptacle become broken, the pieces thereof are held together. The label and wire, being embedded in this material before the same has set, serve to re inforce the structure.

While I have described and illustrated one method of carrying my invention into effect, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the construction described and shown, since changes, within the scope of the appended claims, may be made in the details of the device, such, for instance, as the shape of receptacle that the reading matter is visible through the latter, the receptacle being filled with a material impervious to moisture and gases, and means for attaching the tag to the article to be identified, said means being embedded in said material and extending from said receptacle.

2. An identifying tag comprising a transparent receptacle open at one end and bent inwardly toward the center so as to form a partially peripheral hollow bead, a label with reading matter thereon, so arranged in the receptacle that the reading matter is visible through the latter, a loop of corresponding shape to the bead of the receptacle and contained within said bead, the receptacle being filled with a material impervious to moisture and gases for protecting the label and retaining the loop in position.

3. An identifying tag comprising a glass receptacle open at one end and bent inwardly toward the center so as to form a partially peripheral hollow bead, a label with reading matterthereon, so arranged in the receptacle that the reading matter is visible through the latter, a loop of corresponding shape to the bead of the receptacle and contained within said bead, the receptacle being filled with gypsum, whereby the label isprotected and the loop retained in position.

. An identifying tag comprising a transparent weatherproof receptacle, a filling for said receptacle, consisting of a material impervious to moisture and gases, and a label arranged in the receptacle between the filling and the wall of the receptacle so as to be visible therethrough, said label being retained in position by said filling. V

5. In an identifying tag, a transparent receptacle containing hardened plastic material, attaching means embedded in said material and extending from said receptacle, said receptacle being so formed as to prevent the withdrawal of thebody of plastic material, and a label within said receptacle, said label being arranged between the filling and a wall of the receptacle so as tov be visible.

6. An identifying tag comprising a flat transparent receptacle, a label within said receptacle, a waterproof filling within said receptacle, said receptacle having its side walls centrally indented to retain said filling in position, and attaching means embedded in said filling and extending from said receptacle.

7. In an identifying tag, a transparent receptacle having flexible attaching means arranged therein in aloopand extending therefrom, a label within said receptacle, and hardened plastic material within said receptacle arranged tov prevent said loop being withdrawn from said receptacle, said receptacle being so formed as to anchor, said plastic material in position therein.

In witness whereof, ll have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses. 7 ARTHUR, A. THURLBY.

WVitnesses:

M. T. FARRAR, CHAS. L. I-Iorxxrns.v 

